"A Haunted House" review: As tired as the movies it spoofs

Who thinks it's high time for a movie that spoofs "The Blair Witch Project?" Hands! Anyone? Anyone? No?

"A Haunted House" is a very late-in-the-game attempt to parody the found-footage horror genre, including "Blair Witch" and "Paranormal Activity," a bad idea from the get-go since those movies are so played-out and oft-imitated that new entries already feel like parodies of themselves. Which is probably why "Haunted House" gives up and just goes, early and often, to jokes about passing gas. Meanwhile, St. Paul native Nick Swardson trots out -- for about the 50th time -- another take on that same fey, dumb guy he's been playing since "Reno 911."

To be fair, there are a few inspired moments in "Haunted House," which was brought to us by some of the same people who did the worst "Scary Movie" films. It gets right to the dopiest thing about the "Paranormal" movies: Why don't those dopes move out at the first sign of spectral carnage? And one or two sight gags that poke fun at the goofier aspects of demon visitations also work. But, for the most part, this "Haunted House" is as tired as the movies it makes fun of.